Aside from an official ceremony headed by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) to mark the 67th anniversary of the 228 Incident, several civic groups have organized various events across the country to commemorate it today.
The 228 Incident refers to a crackdown launched by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime against civilian demonstrations in 1947, following an incident in Taipei on Feb. 27.
Estimates of the casualties range from thousands to tens of thousands, but the exact figure remains unknown.
The official memorial is to be held in Hualien, with Ma presenting a certificate of restoration of honor for 228 victim Sung Chun-lan (宋春蘭) to his son Sung Heng-hsiung (宋恒雄). Meanwhile, members of the Eastern Taiwan Society are working with National Dong Hwa University students to organize their own activity, including a concert at the university campus in Hualien in the evening.
In Taipei, the Awakened Citizens’ Alliance and the Alliance of Civics Teachers are to stage a rally from 2pm to 6pm outside the Ministry of Education to protest proposed high-school curriculum guideline reforms. The groups are concerned that the new guidelines are an attempt to force sinocentric ideologies upon students.
In the south, the Southern Taiwan Society, the Praxis in the South Cultural Association and the Taiwan Association of University Professors, together with several student organizations from National Tainan Girls’ Senior High School, National Cheng Kung University and National Pingtung University of Education, are to hold an exhibition commemorating 228 victims. The exhibition opens at noon, and a candlelight vigil is to be held from 7:30pm to 8pm today. Both events are to be held at Cheng Kung University’s Nan Jung Square (南榕廣場).
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